Wheelbarrow



(No Model.)

J. J. SNYDER. WHEELBARROW.

No. 588,095. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

WITNESSES 7 m m: naams PETERS ca. PHDTQLITMD. wnsmucmn n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB J. SNYDER, OF EAST FLORENCE, ALABAMA.

W H EELBARROW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 588,095, dated August 10, 1897. Application filed February 12, 1897. Serial No. 623,144. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB J. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Florence, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheelbarrows; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in wheelbarrows and the object is to provide suitable means for securing the braces to the legs of said wheelbarrow without employing bolts,nails,or screws,which ait'ect the strength and life of the legs.

WVith this and other objects and advan-- tages in View the invention consists in the novel combination of parts herein shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims-annexed liereto.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating this invention, Figure l is a perspective view of the wheelbarrow. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the leg and brace secured in conformity with this invention. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the joint with the coupling-link in place.

Similar numerals of reference designate similar parts in the drawings.

In constructing the wheelbarrow the usual form is followed to the extent that the usual handle-bars 1 andground-wheel are employed and combined, as is well known to those versed in this art. Somewhat in the rear of the journal for the ground-wheel 2 are bolted the legs, which project above the handles 1 and are slanted, as shown, toward the rear. A short distance from the ground the legs 3 are recessedor notched, as shown at 4, and seated therein are the lower extremities of the leg-braces 5, which extend upward past the handle-bars 1 to correspond with the upper projections of the legs 3. These leg-braces 5 are secured firmly and rigidly to the legs by means of the couplinglinks 6, which are slipped over the leg-braces and legs, as shown, and up beyond the point of their junction with each other far enough to permit of the insertion of the cross-brace 7. This cross-brace '7, which extends from leg to leg, as clearly seen in Fig. 1, is notched on the upper angle, as at 8 8, and the ends are reduced sufficiently to form spacingshoulders 7 7, which normally rest against the insides of the leg braces and legs. When so situated, the grooves or notches 8 8 lie on either side of the legs and are adapted to seat the coupling-links 6 6.

The leg-braces 5 are slanted oppositely to the legs and secured tothe'handle-bars, either adj ustably by means of a slot 9 and bolt 10, as shown, or fixedly by means of a bolt only. Between the upper projections of the opposite legs and leg-braces is seated the Wheelbarrow-tray 13. This may be firmly secured in any suitable manner, and with the handles 14 complete the construction of the wheelbarrow according to this invention.

The method of securing the legs and legbraces together may be briefly described as follows: First, the leg-braces 5 are placed nearly parallel with the legs, with their lower extremities contiguous to the notches or recesses 4,. as indicated clearly in dotted lines a in Fig. 2. The coupling-links 6 are then slipped up over the extremities of both to embrace them, and the cross-brace 7 is placed between the separated extremities of the legbraces and legs and held up against the links, which then lie in the notches. The leg-braces are then pulled backwardly, as seen by dotted lines b, so that'the lower ends will rest in the recesses 4, and are then bolted to the handlebars 1. By the leverage afforded through the medium of the coupling-links when forcing these leg-braces backward into the recesses 4 the links are forced tightly into the notches S in the cross-brace 7 and serve to bind the leg-braces and legs at their juncture and to render the latter perfectly rigid with relation to each other, as will be clearly seen. Now by placing the tray within the embrace of the further safeguard is secured against dislocation of the leg-braces, and should the bolts which connect them to the arms, for any reason, fail the tray will maintain the lower connection just described.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that a very secure and simple joint is effected between the legs and leg-braces,

and the use of bolts, nails, or screws is obviated.

These latter serve to weaken the legs and consequently reduce their tensile strength. Besides this consideration it must be taken into account that the joint thus formed renders the assembling of the several parts of the wheelbarrow extremely easy, and thus adds to the convenience of shipping in a segregated state.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, but reserve to myself the right and privilege to alter the same within the bounds of mechanical ingenuity without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is r 1. In a wheelbarrow, the combination with the frame, the legs carried thereby, the lat eral braces, resting against the lower ends of said legs in a'V manner, a band or link slipped over the apex of each V-joint, beyond the angle of the same, and a cross-piece adapted to be inserted in the triangle formed by the band or link and the V-joint, whereby the band or link is caused to bind the leg and leg-brace on each side of the wheelbarrow, in a rigid butknockdown joint.

2. In a wheelbarrow, the combination with the frame, the legs carried thereby, the legbraces, adj ustably'secured to the said frame, and restingagainst the lower'ends of the legs, to form a V, a band or link slipped over the apex of the V-joint thus formed, and beyond the angle of the same, and a cross-piece adapted to be inserted in the triangle, formed by the band or link and the V-joint, whereby the band or link may be caused to bind the leg and leg 'brace, on each side of the wheelbarrow,.in a rigid but knockdown joint, by the adjustment of the leg-braces.

In a wheelbarrow, the combination with a frame, legs carried thereby, leg-braces resting against the lower ends or sides of the legs, to form a V, a band or link slipped overthe apex of the Vjoint, thus formed, and beyond the angle of the same, a cross-piece adapted to be inserted in each triangle formed bythe band or link and the V-joint, whereby the band or link may be caused to bind the leg and leg-brace, in a rigid but knockdown joint, and slots in the frame and leg-braces where they cross each other, with clamping-bolts passed therethrough to ad j nstably secure the leg-braces to the frame of the wheelbarrow.

4. In a wheelbarrow, the combination with a frame, and legs provided with recesses4, of braces 5, having their ends seated therein, a cross-brace 7, resting in the angle between the legs and braces 5, and provided with spacingshoulders 7 and grooves 8, in pairs, and the coupling-links 6, seated in the grooves and embracing and binding the legs, and legbraces to form a rigid joint at such point, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB J. SNYDER.

Witnesses:

G. H. SMITH, JOHN I-IURLUY. 

